Sustainable Marine Energy secures funding to begin array build out at EMEC

Sustainable Marine Energy (SME) has arranged a £4.5m funding package to commence the deployment of an array of its PLAT-O tidal energy systems at the European Marine Energy Centre here in Orkney.

SME has conducted extensive testing of its first PLAT-O prototype in the Solent, off the Isle of Wight, during 2014 and 2015.
SME have now moved their operational base to Orkney and will be grid connecting their first system at EMEC over the coming months.

This deployment will then be followed by a larger, 240kW, platform with Schottel SCHOTTEL HYDRO Instream Turbines (SIT 250), the production of which will commence this summer.

SME’s existing investors have been joined by the German tidal turbine manufacturer SCHOTTEL HYDRO with Scottish Enterprise increasing its investment to provide the funding required to take the development of PLAT-O through the next phase, to prove the commercial viability for community scale arrays.

“We are really excited to be moving forward with our array at EMEC” says Jason Hayman, Managing Director of SME.

He added: “This will show that second generation tidal energy technology really is commercially viable. It is fantastic that SCHOTTEL HYDRO is supporting us at this stage, and also that they have the confidence in the capability and potential of Scottish supply chain to deliver on this project. This is a long term commitment for SME and SCHOTTEL HYDRO and we are rapidly expanding our operations in Orkney, whilst benefitting from the experience of local contractors to drive down the costs of marine operations.”

In addition to the development of PLAT-O, SME is also pioneering the development of drilled rock anchors suitable for tidal sites, the installation of which has been proven at EMEC in the last quarter.

The SME rock anchor system is the first of its kind in the world to be deployed at an energetic tidal site, and will be of benefit to the entire marine energy sector, and wider industry as a whole.